by Chandra Janean

Created on: May 15, 2008

In a perfect world, we would not outlive our beloved pets, but the lifespan of a dog is limited to a mere fraction of a humans. We never forget, nor do we ever quite replace the love for a dog. Dog's really are "wo-mans best friend" and easily hand their devotion, attention, protection and love to the human family they become a part of. Anyone who opens their home and their hearts to the companionship of a canine knows the bond of love that grows, making the loss of a dog very difficult to cope with.

I rescued a wolf hybrid from being sent to an animal shelter when I was in my early twenties, and the loss of that dog still lingers in my heart almost a decade later. I could not bring myself to acquire another dog for a very long time. Only in the past year was I able to reluctantly open myself up to that bond with a canine again. For some, getting a new puppy or rescuing a new dog very early on will help fill the void, but as I said, can never replace the dog you have lost. My wolf dog suffered from epilepsy, and eventually a massive seizure caused irreversible neurological damage. Remembering the day I held him in my arms and saw him take his last breath still brings tears to my eyes. I know that it was absolutely without question one of the hardest days of my life.

One of the aspects of coping with the loss of a dog is filling the time you spent with your animal. I didn't realize how much time I spent walking, feeding and entertaining my dog until he was gone. Suddenly I had huge gaps of time in my day that I didn't know what to do with. Finding ways to spend that extra time with friends, family or volunteering will greatly improve your state of mind after the loss of a dog.

It really is like losing a member of our family, so don't be hard on yourself if you break down and cry. Crying is a healthy aspect of the grieving process. It is most difficult to explain to a child the loss of their dog companion, but it is also an introduction to the reality of mortality in life. We would like to insulate our children from suffering, but this hard lesson in life helps prepare a child for greater losses that will be inevitable over their lifetime.

If it were not such a rewarding experience we would not be so inclined to befriend dogs. Remember how wonderful puppy breath smells, how frustrating cleaning up a chewed toilet paper roll is, the thrill of the hunt on a dewy morning, or how safe you feel walking down the street at night with a dog. Keeping these things in perspective may help us open ourselves up to the bond again. Losing a dog is in many ways like losing a spouse or a child, no single coping method will work for everyone. Like any major loss, the pain will come and go with intensity and over time will not be so strong.

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